


Traveled the World and the Seven Seas

by doyoueverjustYEET



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crew as Family, Established Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Found Family, Injury, M/M, Pirates, They're In Love Your Honor, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29394483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doyoueverjustYEET/pseuds/doyoueverjustYEET
Summary: It was supposed to be a routine take down, a swoop in, steal everything, and get-the-fuck-out-fast kind of mission. When Nekoma's plans go awry, Kenma, Kuroo, and the rest of their crew have to deal with the consequences.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 39





	1. If we’re going down, at least it’ll be together

“Captain!” The voice caught in the billowed sails of the large ship, getting lost in the wind whipping over the varnished decks. “Captaaaaaaain!” 

Kuroo turned from his position poised over the wheel at the helm of his ship, confused as to why he was being summoned so quickly when he’d returned to his duties only a few hours ago. After the incident, he’d refused to leave Kenma’s side, pushing all his responsibility onto Inuoka. The quartermaster didn’t seem to mind, already in charge of the day to day operations and making sure the ship ran smoothly, so adding Kuroo’s captain duties as well didn’t throw him off too much. 

Kuroo’s eyes squinted in the harsh sun as he tried to figure out who the _fuck_ is trying to burst his eardrums when he was just beginning to enjoy his first moment of peace in days. His unasked question is soon answered as Lev skids into his line of vision, gangly limbs askew as he bumbles to a stop in front of him. Lev was a good kid really, quick with his movements and a real asset in battle, but had a propensity to annoy the shit out of Kuroo. 

No wonder the crew loved him so much.

The pirates that composed Nekoma’s crew took great delight in harassing Kuroo, paying no regard to the typical power dynamics of pirate ship; one where the Captain instilled fear into the hearts of the whole crew. Instead, any sailor on Nekoma had free reign to give Kuroo shit: for his constant bedhead, for his lack of navigation skills, for his dopey grin whenever Kenma looked his way. But at the end of the day, their Captain was their Captain, who led them fearlessly and whom they all respected deeply, even if his hair did make him look an awful lot like a rooster.

“Lev?” he questions, but he really wants to bark, “This better be important, kid, or I swear I’ll make you scrub the deck for a week.” His tone must have unconsciously conveyed his mood, because Lev’s expression turned serious, which was enough to make Kuroo worry in and of itself, before commenting gravely, “It’s Kenma, Cap. It’s not looking good, and he asked for you.” _Fuck._

******

It happened like this:

It was supposed to be a routine take-down, a swoop in, steal everything, and get-the-fuck-out-fast kind of mission. Kuroo had left Nekoma in the capable hands of Yaku, whose ankle was still healing from their last conquest, and ordered the navigator to whip the sails open on his call. Nekoma was a beauty of a ship, light in the water but heavily armed for defense, deceptively fast and wicked to encounter. The pirate ship had a reputation of having a crew that was smart as a whip, incredibly adaptable, and overall definitely _not_ a ship you want to encounter in the middle of the day, let alone the dead of night. 

The rest of them were armed for stealth, for battle. Nekoma’s crew tended heavily towards defense but never left their deck empty handed; Kuroo held his favorite cutlass, thin and long, and Kenma stood at his side, short dagger at the ready. Kenma was the brains of the whole operation, first-mate to Kuroo and undoubtedly the most important man in his life. Anyone who sailed the high seas knew this: the sky is blue, you should always try to get on the quartermaster’s good side, and Kuroo Tetsuro loves his first mate, Kozume Kenma. 

Guess Karasuno didn’t get the message.

Karasuno was one of the Queen’s ships, belonging to the royal navy with enough gold on deck to prove it. The sleek boat was plodding along on course to deliver a shipment to the Caribbean, sails wide to catch the breeze lilting slowly over the water. 

Nekoma came from seemingly out of nowhere, streaking quick and fast to try and sneak up on Karasuno. What Nekoma didn’t realize, however, was that Karasuno's crew was new, sprightly and absolutely _itching_ for a fight.

The pirates don’t hear the holler from the crows nest, warning Karasuno’s lightning-fast sailors to prepare for battle. They didn’t see the flash of ginger hair weaving around the deck to set traps, they missed the captain barking orders to man the cannons and weaponry. Nekoma was wholly unprepared for the absolute havoc that was soon to befall them, and by the time Kenma realized what was happened and tried to give the order for “Fuck everything and run”, it was too late. 

He and Kuroo exchanged a look that said _If we’re going down, at least it’ll be together_ and charged the decks with a ferocious battle cry.

******

It’s been about three days since then, since Kuroo had to watch with his own two eyes as the love of his life and his crew, his _family_ , got hurt because of his call. They had all made it out alive, Kuroo glad the rigorous training he put everyone through at least paid off in that regard, but didn’t escape without harsh consequences. 

The most dire of which was stretched out in front of him, shivering in his bed. “Tetsu, _hurts_ ,” Kenma whines, writhing in pain as he tries to find a comfortable position. Lev, who had brought Kuroo to the door, disappears quickly, hopefully getting to work helping Yaku and Yamamoto make sure the ship stayed on course. Kuroo runs a hand through Kenma’s sweaty hair and soothes, “Shh, sweetheart, be careful, gonna rip your stitches.”

Kenma was still drunk from his surgery, alcohol consumed in a feeble attempt to stop the pain for a couple hours. Yamamoto, hands nimble from years spent onboard as both their cook and medic, had done his level best to sew up the large gash in Kenma’s thigh, but it hadn’t been enough. Fuck, they were worried, it was two more days until their destination, two more days until they could land on one of the islands where they knew there would be help. 

The only problem was Kenma making it that long. His whine jolts Kuroo back to the present, and a smile threatens to work its way onto Kuroo’s face as Kenma pushes further into his gentle touch; taking comfort in the familiar way Kuroo’s hands push his hair from his forehead. Kenma’s hair, normally pulled back in a loose ponytail and secured with a bandana, framed his face softly, looking almost like a halo—

Kuroo quickly abandoned that train of thought, not willing to think of anything even remotely related to angels or death or heaven right now. Reassuring himself as much as his love, he murmurs in a raspy voice, “You’re going to be fine, sweetheart, we’ll be on the island in two days, and they’ll be able to patch you up there.” Kenma nods shakily, but Kuroo’s not even sure whether he’d processed the information, simply taking in Kuroo’s tone and trusting that everything would be okay. 

Because, _fuck_ , everything had better be okay, or Kuroo would personally make it his life’s mission to track down Karasuno and slit every single one of those bastard’s throats. 

There’s a quick knock at the door, Inuoka hovering hesitantly in the doorway and holding a plate of food. “You need to eat, Cap. Kenma’s not the only one hurting right now,” he reminds, afraid of sending Kuroo into a fit of anger. But Kuroo just sighs resolutely, holding out his hand for the plate. He was tired, bone tired, of being needed. But he swore to protect his crew at all costs, so even though he wanted to curl up next to Kenma and watch him all night, he resigned himself to making sure Nekoma was functioning. Kuroo hadn’t slept since Kenma got hurt, at the wheel if he could force himself away for a couple of hours, or pacing back and forth on the deck, willing the ship to go faster. Lev would join him sometimes, resting in the hammock and looking at the stars. He would provide solidarity by telling stories of his home, how he and his sister fought like cats and dogs but loved each other dearly, how his mom was the best cook he’d ever met.

Inuoka set a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts by squeezing Kuroo's arm comfortingly before leaving them alone again.

“Just two more days,” Kuroo repeats to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um no offense to myself but this bitch rly doesn’t know anything about sailing or boats so if i got something wrong then whoops lol sorry! i've almost finished writing the the next chapter of this so if you'd be interested in seeing more, let me know or leave some kudos below :) this is pretty different than what i usually write so i hope y'all like it! (hanna if u see this text me lol)


	2. Everybody's Lookin' for Somethin'

Kuroo must have passed out from sheer exhaustion, and as he stirs he thanks the stars Inuoka has a good enough head on his shoulders to take care of everyday duties and didn’t take more than a few glancing blows fighting Karasuno.

Kenma’s eyelids are fluttering, slowly returning to the half-awake, half-asleep, totally delirious state he’s been in the past couple of days. “Tetsuro,” he whimpers quietly, and reaches out a hand to grasp with the captain’s shakily. Their fingers interlock, Kuroo rubbing his thumb rhythmically to soothe Kenma as he nudges their bodies even closer together. Kenma’s eyes open finally, but they’re foggy, and Kuroo is counting down the minutes before they’re on land and they can get him some proper medicine and supplies.

He starts weakly, “Tetsurou, I love you so much and—”

“Absolutely not,” Kuroo insists, tone hard and leaving no room for argument. Continuing, he orders gently, “Kenma, look at me.” And Kenma listens, golden eyes hazy from trying to focus on their conversation. Kuroo continues seriously, “There’s no way you’re doing this to me. There’s no way you’re…..” he trails off, then steels himself as he spits out, “dying. Not when we’re less than a day away from help, do you hear me? If you die now, I swear I’ll hunt you down in the afterlife just to murder you twice”. Kenma lets out a little huff at that, and while Kuroo’s not completely happy with the situation, he’ll take it. He leans in to kiss Kenma softly, gently, still worried about hurting him when he’s so fragile.

He teases, trying to lighten the mood, “No more fucking love confessions out of you, yeah? Just please, stay alive. For me.” And Kenma nods blearily, whispering, “Promise.” Kuroo kisses his forehead in satisfaction, and Kenma slumps back onto the bed, short conversation taking such a toll on his already exhausted body. They lay in silence for a precious few minutes, before there’s a knock at the door. Kuroo yells, “Come in!” and Yaku hobbles into the doorway, eyes manic, and says with urgency in his voice, “Cap, you’ve got to see this.”

Kuroo exhales sharply, really not in the mood for more depressing news, but at the look on his face, Yaku smiles brightly. “Believe it or not, this is actually a good thing. Trust me, you’re really gonna want to come look.” Kuroo squeezes Kenma’s hand to reassure him, brushing a kiss over his forehead once more as he drags himself from their bed to follow Yaku, who had already limped out into the hallway. Yaku glances over his shoulder to double check Kuroo’s following, and Kuroo sees the happiest expression he’s seen on anyone in days flit across his face, before continuing up the stairs to the deck. Kuroo puts a hand to shield eyes, taking a moment to adjust from the dark cabin below. “Yaku,” he breathes out brokenly, “exactly what the fuck am I supposed to be looking for?”

And Yaku’s grin is absolutely feral when he hands Kuroo his spyglass and faces him towards the starboard, pointing to somewhere in the distance. “There, captain.”

Kuroo practically loses his mind when he spots it. He’s only able to choke out a surprised, “Holy fuck” before manhandling Yaku in a tight hug, practically bouncing with excitement. “Yaku, I love you” he blurts out, and he hears a laugh behind them as Lev jokes, “Better not let Kenma hear that, he’ll be jealous.” Kuroo cackles, loud and pleased and happy for the first time in days, because he can finally spot their destination in the distance. Yaku and Lev devolve into a squabbling match, trading insults back and forth, but Kuroo tunes out their familiar quarreling. Someone must have miscalculated their timeframe, or the crew’s been working to the bone to get there faster, because rather than the full day he’d expected, they’re only a couple hours away from Fukurodani. Once docked on the remote island, they would be able to get supplies, heal their crew, and most importantly, make sure Kenma was okay.

******

  
The next couple hours passed quickly, the crew excited to see the inhabitants of Fukurodani again. The island was one they frequented often, partly because of its convenient location along many of their routes, but also due to the close relationship the captain and first mate had with a certain two island dwellers.

Kuroo is hardly able to stand still as Nekoma’s crew prepares to drop anchor in the crystal blue waters of the island’s shores. He supervises the sailors as they perform their typical docking duties, watches with nervous anticipation as the shores draw closer and closer. Once everything is squared away, some pirates choose to jump ship, swimming merrily in the shallow water. Kuroo and Inuoka swiftly prepare a small rowing boat for those who are injured, filling it with supplies and small gifts for their generous hosts. Once it’s ready to launch, Kuroo departs below deck to gather Kenma gently in his arms, mindful of his stitches.

If Kenma wasn’t hurt, he would punch Kuroo’s arm and order Put me down, Tetsuro, or I swear I’ll make you sleep above deck tonight, and Kuroo would let out a deep laugh and say Perfect, I’ll cuddle up with Lev. Kenma would scowl and settle grumpily in the crook of his arms, privately enjoying being manhandled.

At present, however, Kenma’s eyes are glazed over and he whimpers in pain when Kuroo lifts him in a bridal carry. Kuroo comforts quietly, “It’s okay now, sweetheart, we’re here. Get you nice and healed up, alright?” Kenma’s whines stop, but his face still twists in pain with each tiny movement, despite Kuroo’s best efforts not to jostle him too much. Things are not typically this sweet between them, their dynamic much more reliant on banter and teasing, riling each other up until one of them snaps or Yaku threatens to mutiny and throw them overboard. Kenma and Kuroo are playful and quarrelsome, could often be found flirting and trash-talking while practicing sword fighting, or trading insults when one of them beats the other in cards (it’s always Kenma who wins, smug expression tugging at his features as he lays his cards on the table triumphantly).

Kuroo’s voice shakes as he continues to whisper, stomach sinking with the wrongness of the saccharine words, “Gonna see Kou and Keiji, sweetheart, ‘member? Gotta hold out for them, they’ll make sure you’re all better soon.” Kenma doesn’t reply, but at that point they’ve made it to the rowboat and Kuroo needs to make sure everyone who’s injured is secured and ready to depart.

Kuroo and Inuoka begin rowing, muscles straining to move the weight along. If he squints, Kuroo can make out about a dozen figures on the shore standing and waving at them. He’s suddenly grateful the rest of Nekoma had swam ahead and summoned people they knew would help. As they draw closer to shore, the island dwellers begin wading out into the water to meet them and help pull their boat in.

“Hey, hey, hey!” A voice rings in the distance, and Kuroo can’t help but smile. As they get closer, the man’s shape sharpens into one Kuroo knows well and he can finally make out molten gold eyes and a strong build.

Kuroo had a pirate’s heart, with bountiful love for multiple people. Of course, Kenma had his own special place, nestled deep in Kuroo’s ribcage, but when the two of them first docked on Fukurodani, they exchanged glances and they just knew.

Akaashi was beautiful in his own right, perhaps objectively the most gorgeous man Kuroo had ever seen, and the four of them got along like a house on fire. Kenma would always be his first love, the person he chose to sail the seven seas with, but Bokuto and Akaashi had their own special places too, lodged somewhere within that large heart of his.

It worked out nicely, as Akaashi and Bokuto were desperately infatuated with each other as well. Only a blind man could miss the grin that flashed across Bokuto’s face when his love was near, or the fond exasperation that crossed Akaashi’s delicate features when Bokuto did something particularly amusing. The two of them were clearly meant for each other, molded together after years and years of learning each other's habits and quirks.

But now, with both of them so close and a broken Kenma less than a foot away, Kuroo felt overjoyed that he finally got the chance to relinquish control. Yes, being a captain was rewarding, satisfying in its own right, but some days he just wants to curl next to Kenma in their bed. But when they’re sailing, he has to be strong, for both of them, for his crew, for Nekoma. Now, on Fukurodani, however, he allows himself to crumple a little bit, allows strong hands to pull him from the boat to make sure he’s okay. “It’s Kenma, he—“ he begins to explain, but Bokuto talks over him.

“Tetsu!” He exclaims brightly, “Don’t worry so much. You’re safe, and you know Keiji will take good care of him.” He smiles widely, and confirms, “You trust him, right?”

And Kuroo does, with his life, so he sags into Bokuto’s embrace and lets himself be guided to the golden sand of the island’s shores. While the two of them are making their way through the shallow waters, Akaashi wades over to the boat that still holds Inuoka, Kenma, and the rest of Nekoma’s crew nursing their wounds. He breathes a sigh of relief at the realization that there is nothing too severe, before his eyes land on Kenma and his heart quickens. Kenma will be okay, there’s no way Akaashi would let him die, but the dressing on his wound has spots of blood and he looks pale and sickly.

“Okay, Inuoka, let’s get everyone to shore and then I can start looking at the most severe wounds, starting with your first-mate here.” Inuoka nods in agreement and he and Akaashi work on pushing and rowing the small boat inland.

Once they’ve got the boat on the sand of the beach, they begin helping the pirates out. Akaashi and Kenma hobble towards the small hut that contains the island’s medical supplies. Bokuto and Kuroo beat them there, and they help Kenma get situated on the bed. He hisses sharply at the movements, cursing like, well, a sailor, and Kuroo is happy he’s cognizant enough to speak at all after how out of it he’s been the past couple of days. Bokuto presses a kiss to Kenma’s temple in both a greeting and parting, murmuring an uncharacteristically quiet hello before bustling off to help work on the rest of Nekoma. Kuroo follows him, trusting Akaashi with Kenma and needing to make sure the rest of the crew was okay.

Akaashi inspects Kenma’s wound, fixes the stitches where they’re crooked, and redresses it. “Take this and rest,” he commands gently, running his fingers through Kenma’s hair as he offers him medicine. Kenma does, drifting off gently to the soothing island noises and the feeling of Akaashi’s fingers scratching his scalp softly.

******

They stay on the island for about two weeks, enjoying resting on the beach and stealing lazy kisses in the shade of the palm trees. Kenma’s leg heals, slowly but surely, and although he will have a large scar, he’ll be just fine. Nekoma’s crew enjoys the tranquility cast by the calm sun, which warms the beach in an idle glow as it creeps towards the horizon every evening. Soon, Nekoma will embark again, set sail on the seven seas, hungry for their next grand adventure. But for now, they rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop a comment or kudos below if you enjoyed :)


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